A Manoso Vacation
by mybrowneyes
Summary: Ranger decides to take his family on vacation and Caden gets his wish to finally see the Giant Potato.


Just borrowing from JE. Caden is all mine. In the Sunday 'Parade' Magazine there was a listing of big things to see across the United States and it got me missing Caden.

_**A Manoso Vacation**_

"Babe, he'll be fine. I hope the Trenton school system has a really excellent mental health package." Ranger knew it was some lingering post-partum hormones, but it was more registering Caden for kindergarten. They just finished the open registration.

"I know. He's my little boy," a weepy Stephanie told her handsome husband.

A happy little boy was in the backseat studying the picture of 'Trenton Heights Elementary School', Cassie was talking 'Me school too', and Aubrey was contented in her car seat for the ride. He had on those stupid taped glasses during registration because he looked smart. Boy was his teacher in for a big surprise. The principal was flabbergasted when Caden asked what time Algebra class was during his morning half-day of school.

"Cassie Girl is going to pre-school when Caden goes to school," she told her little girl who was expanding her vocabulary finally.

"School with Cadie."

"Ranger-Dad."

The Cuban Bad-Ass heard that little voice knowing the little boy's brain was conjuring up something and it usually cost Ranger money or him doing something out of the black box. "Midget?"

"Ranger-Dad, since I'm going to school soon and I'll be going to Harvard, too, maybe I should check on your Porsche, but I was thinking."

He was shaking is head, "Midget, do I really what to know?"

"Well, yeah, how else you going to know what I'm thinking. This calls for something great, something big."

Ranger groaned internally knowing all the way down to his Cuban toes what it was.

"Like a big potato! Aubrey is here and there are things I need to show her," Caden said logically.

"She's only two months, Sweetheart," Stephanie tried to make her son understand that a baby wouldn't know where she was at this point in her life. Aubrey slept, drank from her boob, and had dirty diapers. They all smelled those.

"Mommy, she'll know because we got to take pictures."

There went that idea.

"I could go to summer school. Harvard is open all year. This could be our last summer vacation," Caden told his parents.

"We'll always have summer vacations!" Stephanie was full out crying now. Their almost five-year old had it figured he would be packing it up for the Ivy League school after kindergarten. Ranger was going to have to figure something out and it was going to involve a short person with Buddy Holly glasses.

_**XXXXXXXXXX**_

Ranger discussed with Tank, Bobby, and Lester about taking a few weeks off during the summer to spend with his family. They had no problem with it and in return for them covering for the boss; the cabins at Lake Hoptacong were available to them. He was convinced he should check his own sanity rating, but they did have a good time at the cabins for Memorial Day and the change of scenery never affected his infant daughter. She seemed to sleep longer at night, maybe it was all the activity and the mountain air. The biggest plus was the sex was back on between him and Stephanie. Ranger was insane for his family and deliriously in love with his wife. Their happiness was everything to him.

Aubrey was fussy during the night and her pediatrician informed her parents she might because she received her first set of immunizations at her two-month check-up. So Stephanie could nap with their daughter at the townhouse after Julie, Ben, and Danni got off to school, Ranger would drop Caden and Cassidy off at pre-school or day-care for their toddler.

Buckling the extra booster seat and car seat in the back of his Cayenne, they were off to Rangeman for the morning meeting because he had a slight change of plans.

"Midget, you and Cassidy aren't going to daycare. I need your help after my morning meeting. Can you occupy your sister while it's going on?"

"I'm your guy, Ranger-Dad. What you got planned?"

Ranger chuckled because this would be an adventure. "You'll see." A thought crept into his Cuban head, if he finds what he wants, last night may be his last sleeping next to his wife. She may have him committed to a padded room. If it was a consolation prize, Caden would come see him, maybe?

"I bet Mommy doesn't know. You should call day-care and tell Mrs. Hunt we won't be there and it involves a surprise for Mommy in case she calls."

"Good thinking, Midget."

"Someone got to," The curly haired boy replied with his glasses in place.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Tank, Bobby, and Lester would have loved to go along with Ranger and the two children because something was in the works and with Caden in it, it had to be a bit crazy. All of Trenton was aware Ranger goes commando because of the pint-size genius.

"Damn!" Tank let out when the tracker on the Cayenne went off the grid before Ranger pulled out. His cell phone buzzed and all he heard was "Need to know basis and you don't. I'll call later." Then, he heard a dial tone.

"He doesn't want us to know!" Lester let out seeing the blank screen.

"This is serious," Tank concluded, "and I bet Stephanie has no clue what her husband is up too!" Ranger's best friend gave an inward sigh. On the outside, Carlos Manoso was the same Bad-Ass being anyone's worst nightmare, but inside he had changed. Ever since meeting Stephanie a few years ago, he began to change, she made him Human. That explosion of the warehouse forever changed Ranger, Stephanie was his life. While Ramon will be locked up for years for what he did, the Cuban man doesn't let anything come in the way of his wife and six children. Every day when his kisses Stephanie, holds his infant daughter, or simply walks one to the school bus, that's a blessing. Ranger could have lost all of it.

"Neither do we," Bobby added.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The salesman at 'Trenton Campers and RVs' looked at Carlos Manoso like he was off his Cuban rocker.

"Midget, do you think this is the one?"

Caden and Cassidy were running the length of a cream colored motor home with cherry wood accents in the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom.

He stopped in front of Ranger and Sid the salesman slipping his Buddy Holly glasses on his face. He went from face to face. "Ranger-Dad, we got four bunk beds. One for Julie, Ben, and Danni. Me and Cassidy will share since we're little. We got a bathroom with a tub and shower," he said walking from the kitchen into the bunk room. He stomped back out continuing to talk going down the small hallway. "The sofa folds down for an extra bed." They heard the door of the back bedroom slide open and close. "There is a big bed back here for you and Mommy. Aubrey's crib can go here." A door slid again and the two children came through the bathroom and bunk room back to the two men.

Caden opened a closet door. "It has a washer and dryer so we have clean clothes. We can cook food and have a table to eat. Two can eat at the bar or by the TV, so we're all covered. Hit this button and this grows." Caden pressed the button and the living area expanded with the sofa. "Hit this and we got air." Above them a door lifted and a ceiling fan came on. The RV shook again. "With this button, the bedroom gets bigger. We got storage underneath. There is a hose for water, one for stinky stuff, and we plug it in. We'll even have WiFi to stay in touch. I can't drive this though."

"That's my job," Ranger told his son.

"I take care of everything else."

Sid stared at Ranger, "You're letting him in charge of this expensive motor home?"

"Yes, he'll remember everything," Ranger said handing the man his black credit card. "We'll take it."

He unscrambled the GPS on his cell phone, "I need someone to pick up my SUV." It was all he said knowing one or all three of Stephanie's 'Merry Men' would be here within minutes. Ranger was signing the papers and registration when a black Hummer pulled into the parking area. The Rangemen saw Caden and Cassidy peeking out the windows of a beige RV with black trim and the horn was beeping.

The little boy opened the door. Tank was bent over laughing. "You're going to see that big potato."

"You got it and sleep in those tee pees. Ranger-Dad just gave up," Caden told them and welcomed them into their home on wheels.

Lester took the keys to the Cayenne from their boss and Tank was having trouble breathing because he was still laughing. "You're driving across the country to see a big potato." He wasn't surprised and liked the style in which Ranger and his family were doing it.

"Yup," he said closing the motor home door, buckled the two children in seats, and pulled the Damn thing out heading for the townhouse.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

At the end of the driveway, Stephanie, Julie, and a much more pleasant Aubrey were waiting for Ben and Danni's bus. Zeus and Athena, the cat Ranger rescued from a tree, were sitting right beside the females. Julie was playing with her half-sister in her mother's arms.

"Steph, who does that belong to?" Julie asked seeing a RV turning onto their street a couple of blocks down.

It was getting closer to their block. "I don't know."

There was a dark head behind the wheel and two small ones smiling through the windshield at them as it parked between their driveway and Mrs. Peterson's. The door opened with Caden, Cassidy, and Ranger coming down the three steps.

"Babe."

Once his lips left hers, she asked, "We need this?"

"Mommy, we're going to see the giant potato!" Caden informed her and disappeared inside of the big thing on wheels with Julie, Ben, and Danni, who ran from the corner seeing it parked in front of their house. Even the dog and cat were in it.

Dark eyes studied his wife for a moment. "Yes, we do. In a few years from now our children will be going off to college and beginning their own lives. I want us to remember our time together." Ranger chuckled, "How else can all of us travel comfortably to see a giant spud?"

"Carlos Manoso, you're crazy!"

"About you," he kissed his wife again, "and you," kissing his baby daughter's head.

_**XXXXXXXXXXX**_

Rangeman looked forward to the postcards, packages, and photographs they received of the Manoso RV trip. It officially started with a picture in all six of them in front of Lucy in the Elephant in New Jersey and finally the entire family was photographed in front of the Giant Potato in Blackfoot, Idaho. Ranger's grin was big as everyone else's. Zeus, Athena, and someone was always holding Rex the longest living hamster in the photographs. Rangeman got boxes of potato chips sent to them. There was a stop at Carhenge in Nebraska, Superman and a replica of 'The Leaning Tower' in Illinois, a Jackalope in Wyoming, a Shoe House in Pennsylvania, the largest Cuckoo Clock in Ohio. Samples of popcorn arrived from the giant ear of corn in Minnesota and pictures by the large cement otter. The Plums and Grandma Mazur flew into Idaho Falls because Mr. Plum had promised Caden to see the giant potato with him and traveled with them for a few days. The RV dropped them off Minnesota to fly home and picked up Selena and Manuel Manoso in Madison to see a really large fish and the world's largest loon. Oh, and Ranger did get to sleep in a teepee in Kentucky detouring south from Ohio. They would find a campground, park for the night or two; eat around a campfire on their way to and from the giant potato. It was six week of crazy; it was a Manoso filled vacation. It was all theirs.


End file.
